Ms Campbell, 18, was announced as dux at the Newstead College presentation night yesterday.

The Riverside resident achieved a tertiary entrance rank of 114 and an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of 99.5.

''I was very surprised with my score and I was pleased that performing arts was taken seriously enough that I achieved this,'' said Ms Campbell, who did four subjects and performed in the college production in 2011.

Ms Campbell was the only Tasmanian shortlisted for the one-week scholarship with the acclaimed Sydney theatre company Bell Shakespeare and found out she had won at the end of last year.

The scholarship starts on February 19 and when Ms Campbell returns she will attend the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music to undertake a Bachelor of Arts Music and Contemporary Voice.

Sasha Longo and Laura Van Galen achieved the college's equal second-highest TER of 111.3 and ATAR of 99.1.

Mr Longo, 18, of Rosevears, said he was surprised and excited when he opened his results email.

He will follow in his brother Ben's footsteps and undertake an engineering degree with the University of Tasmania.

Ms Van Galen, 18, of Hadspen, was surprised with her results but said being home-schooled until year 10 had perhaps taught her how to be disciplined in her studies. She has enrolled with the University of Tasmania in a Bachelor of Science Plant Science but the accomplished musician hopes to mix the degree with some music subjects.

College principal Janet Sims said it was the first time in a number of years that the college's dux was a student that had come from an arts background.